LEGO Dimensions – Diary of the Dadhttps://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk
An award-winning UK dad blogFri, 19 Jul 2019 12:35:48 +0000en-GB
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1 https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/DOTD-favicon.pngLEGO Dimensions – Diary of the Dadhttps://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk
3232Why kids’ films have lost the plothttps://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2019/07/lost-the-plot/
https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2019/07/lost-the-plot/#commentsFri, 19 Jul 2019 12:35:48 +0000https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/?p=9905We took the kids to see Toy Story 4 last weekend. While I was looking forward to it vicariously for them, I wasn’t particularly fussed about seeing it myself. I felt that Toy Story 3 was a sequel too far, so didn’t have much enthusiasm for another instalment. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I didn’t enjoy it. It …

]]>We took the kids to see Toy Story 4 last weekend. While I was looking forward to it vicariously for them, I wasn’t particularly fussed about seeing it myself. I felt that Toy Story 3 was a sequel too far, so didn’t have much enthusiasm for another instalment.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I didn’t enjoy it. It had its moments, of course, but it met with my low expectations on the whole. What surprised me, however, was that the aforementioned moments were the only things the majority of kids in the auditorium really responded to.

Then, yesterday, I read this article by Emily Beecher which hits the nail on the head. This film, and many others like it, seem to have been made more with parents in mind than children.

I can see the logic of this with Toy Story 4, of course. The franchise is 24 years old and the makers obviously wanted its original audience to complete the journey they started in 1995.

But they neglected what surely should have been the key demographic: the children of today. And Woody, Buzz et al aren’t alone in doing this.

Thinking about it, the vast majority of films aimed at kids these days are hand-me-downs of sorts. Disney seems to be hell-bent on making live-action versions of its entire back catalogue.

Meanwhile, Marvel and DC heroes are rebooted every few years and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles keep reemerging from the sewers.

It’s not just a case of titles and characters being rehashed either. The narratives of some supposed kids’ films have become a lot more grown-up than necessary.

They have quite literally lost the plot. The subtle asides there to keep parents entertained have become a lot more prominent.

Look at Despicable Me 3. It lacked the warmth and charm of the first two films and largely relegated the girls and minions – surely the characters kids will relate to the most – to supporting cast.

It focused more on adult problems such as struggles with parenting and work, while the tidal wave of 80s references provided by the bad guy, Balthazar Bratt, means nothing to children today.

Then there are video games. LEGO Dimensions, in particular, was basically a love letter to the 1980s. Now don’t get me wrong, we loved playing it together as a family.

But, in hindsight, I probably got a lot more out of it than the kids did. The likes of Gremlins, E.T and The A-Team were aimed more at me than them.

It seems that original ideas and characters are becoming thinner on the ground and that’s really sad.

As Beecher points out, us Generation Xers and Millenials pine for the simpler times we grew up in. And it has to be admitted that there’s something very comforting about nostalgia. But it doesn’t do today’s youngsters any favours.

Going back to LEGO Dimensions the presence of another 80s icon, Marty McFly, suggests that we’ve turned our back to the future.

So, as kids’ films seem to have lost the plot, I propose another reboot of sorts. A reboot in approach to entertainment for kids. Who’s with me?

]]>https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2019/07/lost-the-plot/feed/1Win a LEGO Elves play set!https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2017/04/win-a-lego-elves-play-set/
https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2017/04/win-a-lego-elves-play-set/#commentsWed, 26 Apr 2017 17:07:42 +0000http://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/?p=5870Mythology and LEGO® are two things that capture children’s imaginations. With that in mind, it’s little surprise that LEGO Elves has proved so popular with young builders. Here’s your chance to win a brand new LEGO Elves play set for your little adventurers. To set the scene, the action takes place in the magical world of Elvendale. Sadly, …

]]>Mythology and LEGO® are two things that capture children’s imaginations. With that in mind, it’s little surprise that LEGO Elves has proved so popular with young builders. Here’s your chance to win a brand new LEGO Elves play set for your little adventurers.

To set the scene, the action takes place in the magical world of Elvendale. Sadly, the elves Azari, Farran, Naida and Aira find themselves in uncertain times. This is due to the evil plans of the King Goblin and his underlings.

There are two human visitors to this battle between good and bad. Emily Jones and Sophie, her younger sister. Sophie has followed Emily through the portal to Elvendale. But without her older sibling and the elves, she is captured by the goblins. Oh no!

This particular play set sees Sophie arriving in the village and exploring. It includes Barblin the Goblin who is spying on Sophie and ready to pounce with his capture-mobile. Maybe she should pay more attention to her new surroundings rather than her phone.

Kids will love playing out this story. Although its name is ‘The Capture of Sophie Jones’, I imagine there will be some alternative endings with Barblin ending up in the net!

Either way, LEGO® is great for developing storytelling skills. As well as the obvious construction side of things, of course.

I wonder whether the Elves will one day show up in LEGO Dimensions too. The presence of a portal certainly suggests that they could. Plus Ninjago, Chima and LEGO City have already made the move.

Other play sets from the LEGO Elves range cover other potential chapters of the story. These include a daring rescue mission as well as a quest to recover Emily’s amulet which is linked to the fate of the enchanted land. They also feature dragons, airships and catapults, so there is much to inspire the imagination.

LEGO Elves is recommended for children aged 8-11 years old.

To be in with a chance of winning, use as many entry methods as you like in the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

]]>https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2017/04/win-a-lego-elves-play-set/feed/5Helping kids grow up – how much is too much?https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2017/02/how-much-is-too-much/
https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2017/02/how-much-is-too-much/#commentsFri, 03 Feb 2017 08:19:37 +0000http://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/?p=5507When my sons were closer to the age my daughter is now, life was simpler. It wasn’t perfect of course, but we generally got on with each new stage with minimal fretting. It was easy working out the right answer to each new parenting challenge. The latest one we’ve found ourselves facing, though, has us in two minds. We find ourselves questioning …

]]>When my sons were closer to the age my daughter is now, life was simpler. It wasn’t perfect of course, but we generally got on with each new stage with minimal fretting. It was easy working out the right answer to each new parenting challenge. The latest one we’ve found ourselves facing, though, has us in two minds.

We find ourselves questioning whether we have wrapped the boys in cotton wool. At almost seven and five respectively, they are so much more aware of the world now, but not nearly as much as some of their friends seem to be. As a result, we have recently tried to help broaden their horizons.

This, in turn, has raised an important question. How much is too much?

As I alluded to recently, we’ve tried to enjoy family films while my daughter has her nap. Choosing what to watch has proved tricky. The boys want to watch things other than animated features, but we remain reluctant.

As so many classics feature in LEGO Dimensions, they naturally want to see them. We started Back to the Future, only to stop when some of the language was stronger than we remembered. We’re no prudes, but don’t want them swearing either. Lord of the Rings is both too long and too scary, while we don’t think they would cope too well with certain scenes in Gremlins.

They also want to see every superhero film going, but we’re not sure they should due to the violence in some of them. We’re taking them to see the LEGO Batman Movie at half term, but I know it will whet the appetite for live action films.

Some of their peers have seen things like Batman V Superman, for example. There’s no judgement for that on my part, by the way – I’m just bewildered as to what to do. Do we let them watch more mature content to toughen them up, or steer them clear for now?

Then there’s the issue of the news. The world is a thoroughly depressing place at the moment. I try not to discuss political matters on here, but it has to be said that hate seems to be winning. Should we be telling them about it though?

On the one hand, I think it’s something they should be aware of. As I mentioned earlier, kids are much more knowing these days. It’s also significantly harder to avoid information than when we were young. It’s inevitable that they will hear some things, so perhaps we should give them the full story?

On the other hand, however, part of me feels that we should let kids be kids and enjoy childhood unburdened by such things. Personally, I don’t think things are going to change for the better for a long, long time. From that point of view, it makes sense to let them have this time untroubled.

The boys seem fascinated by Donald Trump’s rise, in particular. As they are both still very young, they haven’t really grasped the concept as they both talk of his powers as being like those of a comic book villain. Or maybe I’m doing them a disservice there – if they do understand power in a way I haven’t given them credit for, it’s an astute observation.

One of the difficulties I have is fully comprehending the bigger picture myself. While I’m all too aware of what is happening, I don’t understand how so many people have allowed it to. A dark chapter of history seems to be repeating itself, yet it appears that little has been learned from it. How can I properly explain things to them, therefore?

Where do you stand on this? How much is too much? Should kids be kids for as long as possible or do we have a duty to encourage them to grow up faster in this changing world? Do you let your kids watch more grown-up films? Do you discuss the news with them?

]]>https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2017/02/how-much-is-too-much/feed/2Review: LEGO Dimensions wave sixhttps://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/10/review-lego-dimensions-wave-six/
https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/10/review-lego-dimensions-wave-six/#respondWed, 19 Oct 2016 17:45:34 +0000http://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/?p=4866To say that we were excited about the launch of LEGO Dimensions wave six would be something of an understatement. Since the introduction of wave one last year, our Xbox has had little rest. Dylan and Xander absolutely love it and, sometimes, Kate and I get to play it too. We were recently sent the entire new wave for …

]]>To say that we were excited about the launch of LEGO Dimensions wave six would be something of an understatement. Since the introduction of wave one last year, our Xbox has had little rest. Dylan and Xander absolutely love it and, sometimes, Kate and I get to play it too. We were recently sent the entire new wave for review. I love my job!

Requirements

If you’re new to LEGO Dimensions, you’ll need to get hold of the starter pack for your console of choice. This is because it includes the toy pad and disc as well as Batman, Wyldstyle, Gandalf and the Batmobile. Between them, they have certain abilities that are needed in the Ghostbusters 2016 story.

You will also need an internet connection for the new area of the game’s map – aka The Shard – to be added. This should update automatically when you load the game for the first time.

What’s new?

The headline act of LEGO Dimensions wave six is a Ghostbusters 2016 story pack. It contains Abby Yates, Ecto-1 and a new gateway to build on the toy pad. The story itself allows players to play through this year’s film with LEGO’s own brand of humour complementing the source material nicely.

There are also level packs for Adventure Time and Mission: Impossible, team packs for Harry Potter and Adventure Time and a fun pack for The A-Team. That’s quite a lineup and plenty more game hours to boot.

Also new this year are Battle Arenas. These are great fun! Up to four players can participate in one of four modes – Capture the Flag, Base Bash, Objective or Tick Tag Boom. What’s more, the UK edition comes with commentary from Brian Blessed. Pitch perfect casting!

Most useful new character

Jake the dog from Adventure Time is by far the most versatile character so far. Thanks to a selection wheel that can be activated while playing as Jake, you can transform him into various weird and wonderful incarnations. These include Drill Jake, Dolphin Jake and Trampoline Jake.

In turn, these unlock extra abilities, including some that were previously exclusive to other characters. If you’re in two minds about which team pack to get, I thoroughly recommend this one. You also get Lumpy Space Princess who has a few abilities that you may not already have, including the utlra-rare rainbow brick blowup.

Our thoughts

To be honest, we knew what we would think of LEGO Dimensions wave six the moment we saw the trailer. It has been a big hit with everyone so far and the new characters add even more fun to what was already a vastly entertaining game. The interaction between new and existing characters is up there with earlier waves too.

The new adventure worlds are, of course, welcome additions – I’ve really enjoyed The A-Team one in particular – and the appetite for waves seven to nine has been well and truly whetted. I’m SO looking forward to Gremlins and The Goonies!

]]>https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/10/review-lego-dimensions-wave-six/feed/0My Sunday Photo: Bake Off, Lake Off or Take Off?https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/09/my-sunday-photo-bake-off-lake-off-or-take-off/
https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/09/my-sunday-photo-bake-off-lake-off-or-take-off/#commentsSun, 04 Sep 2016 09:30:09 +0000http://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/?p=4583We’ve been spending quite a lot of time at my parents’ house of late. It’s a no brainer as ours is too small, theirs is massive and the kids have energy to burn. Amelie has taken a shine to their kitchen appliances this week. I haven’t yet managed to get the classic ‘baby disappearing into …

]]>We’ve been spending quite a lot of time at my parents’ house of late. It’s a no brainer as ours is too small, theirs is massive and the kids have energy to burn. Amelie has taken a shine to their kitchen appliances this week. I haven’t yet managed to get the classic ‘baby disappearing into washing machine’ shot yet, but got this. She loves their range oven and gravitates towards it.

At first I thought she was showing an early interest in The Great British Bake Off, but it also struck me that her movements while holding on to the bar were rather balletic. From Bake Off to Swan Lake Off, if you will.

Then, I noticed that the bars are reminiscent of the ones that various characters in LEGO Dimensions can jump up. She’s seen her brothers playing it enough this summer, so she may fancy herself as Wyldstyle. Maybe we have an acrobatic master builder on our hands!

]]>https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/09/my-sunday-photo-bake-off-lake-off-or-take-off/feed/4Review: LEGO Star Wars The Force Awakenshttps://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/07/review-lego-star-wars-force-awakens/
https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/07/review-lego-star-wars-force-awakens/#respondMon, 11 Jul 2016 15:58:51 +0000http://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/?p=4356Dylan and Xander are proper gamers now and have become huge Star Wars fans in recent months too. While I’m not as big a fan, I was delighted to be invited to the launch of LEGO Star Wars The Force Awakens recently. Soon after arriving at London Bridge, I was on the 72nd floor of The Shard. …

]]>Dylan and Xander are proper gamers now and have become huge Star Wars fans in recent months too. While I’m not as big a fan, I was delighted to be invited to the launch of LEGO Star Wars The Force Awakens recently. Soon after arriving at London Bridge, I was on the 72nd floor of The Shard.

It was great to see one of my oldest blogger pals Daddacool there. After pretending that we’d built the model of Rey on the way in, it was time to head up. We took several lifts to ascend the majority of The Shard’s 1,016 feet. At the top, there was a drinks reception, consoles to play the game on, breathtaking views and John Williams’ classic soundtrack. It created a fitting atmosphere.

So on to the game itself. As expected, it is based on the plot of the latest film but also features some exclusive content. This is set several years beforehand. As a result, a few characters from the older films make unexpected but nonetheless welcome appearances. Dylan was particularly pleased to discover Darth Vader!

I love the way LEGO games fuse a clear affection for the original material with their trademark humour and this didn’t disappoint. A fair amount of dialogue seems to have been lifted straight from the film, but the comic asides and creative brick-based segues that have become synonymous with the brand are in plentiful supply.

The interface is similar to that of LEGO Dimensions, so the boys got into the game quickly. They were soon smashing up everything in sight, collecting studs and following the story. In fact, I’ve hardly had a look in so far as they’re alarmingly good at it!

One of the in-play additions that I particularly liked was the enhanced multi-builds system. The hopping piles of bricks that seasoned LEGO game fans will be familiar with can now be used more than once. Doing so enables players to access different areas of the levels – for example, higher platforms.

Another feature that adds to the challenge is advanced AI that allows enemy characters to use said bricks. If human players are not fast enough, they may encounter Stormtrooper reinforcements, air support or heavy artillery. Incentive, if it were needed, to take the game to them!

There are also plenty of aerial battles while another first for the franchise sees cover-based shootouts with enemies – the like of which most older gamers will be familiar with.

On the evidence of the first few levels, there is much to enjoy. As well as several hours of story-based missions, there are open worlds and downloadable content to enjoy. I’m looking forward to having a proper go when the boys finally allow me!

LEGO Star Wars The Force Awakens is available on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, Xbox One®, Xbox 360®, WiiU, Nintendo 3DS and Windows PC. This review is based on the Xbox 360 version.

]]>https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/07/review-lego-star-wars-force-awakens/feed/0Art attackhttps://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/06/art-attack/
https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/06/art-attack/#commentsThu, 16 Jun 2016 15:54:21 +0000http://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/?p=4245As you may have seen in the news, the new wing of the Tate Modern opened this week. I’m only slightly exaggerating when I say that, between them, Dylan and Xander have produced enough artwork to fill it. We are being subjected to an art attack! While I’m obviously happy that they’re exploring their creative …

]]>As you may have seen in the news, the new wing of the Tate Modern opened this week. I’m only slightly exaggerating when I say that, between them, Dylan and Xander have produced enough artwork to fill it. We are being subjected to an art attack!

While I’m obviously happy that they’re exploring their creative sides through the medium of art and spending at least a small amount of time away from screens, it’s starting to get on my nerves.

Not a day goes by without several new masterpieces being proudly presented. They both love to immortalise their favourite characters from LEGO Dimensions, Ninjago and Star Wars in felt tip while Xander regularly brings home pieces of paper festooned in scraps of material from pre school.

Yesterday was a case in point. At pre school, Xander drew so many pictures of Lord of the Rings characters – who he knows via the aforementioned video game, rather than bedtime reading – that they were glued together into a book. A full-on sequel to Tolkien’s epic trilogy in under four hours!

My once-tidy desk has become an unwitting piece of installation art on its own. Similarly, the fridge is so densely populated with drawings that, if I’ve had a particularly bad night of sleep thanks to Amelie, it can take me a moment to find the bloody thing!

The other problem is the waste. Apparently, the reverse side of the A4 printouts we get with our groceries every week are not good enough and hinder my young artists’ visions for what they want to produce.

Only the expensive stuff we buy for the printer – and, curiously, the back of our annual mortgage statement – will do. I have to keep hiding it. Although not in my desk; that’s already groaning under the weight of their handiwork.

Of course, we subtly recycle a few of their works now and then and also manage to offload some on extended family when they call round, but it raises the question of what to keep and what to let go. I’m well aware of the fact that I’m too soft, but what if I discard a priceless work of art?

What is your approach to kiddy art? How do you strike the balance between nurturing creativity and being swamped by drawings of Yoda? What ratio of it should I keep and is it wrong to tell the boys, should they ask, that their ‘missing’ pictures have gone to live on a farm?

]]>https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2016/06/art-attack/feed/3Review: LEGO Dimensionshttps://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2015/10/lego-dimensions/
https://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/2015/10/lego-dimensions/#commentsFri, 02 Oct 2015 14:16:07 +0000http://www.diaryofthedad.co.uk/?p=3216Dylan and Xander have both been getting more and more into LEGO lately and I’ve looking forward to them getting into video games too (I know, I should be careful what I wish for) so I was absolutely delighted to be offered a brand new LEGO Dimensions set for review. This ‘toys-to-life’ format game brings together …

]]>Dylan and Xander have both been getting more and more into LEGO lately and I’ve looking forward to them getting into video games too (I know, I should be careful what I wish for) so I was absolutely delighted to be offered a brand new LEGO Dimensions set for review. This ‘toys-to-life’ format game brings together a small army of characters from different films, TV series and LEGO sub-brands to create an adventure game that promises to keep kids – okay, and their parents too – entertained for hours on end.

It’s a natural progression for the brand; children have long been able to make up their own mash-up stories with characters who would never otherwise encounter one another. The existence of The LEGO Movie and the rise of toys-to-life gaming meant that it was only a matter of time before it became available.

From what I’ve seen so far, its developers have seized the opportunity with both hands. It goes way beyond the novelty factor of a crossover episode of two of your favourite TV shows and all the proverbial stops have been pulled out. The interaction between the chalk-and-cheese characters is brilliantly funny – no mean feat given the vast array of them that there are.

The starter pack includes the video game, a toy pad, the pieces to build the gateway that forms the nucleus of the game and three characters, namely Batman, Gandalf and Wildstyle from The LEGO Movie. The pieces for the Batmobile are also included. To get started, you need to construct the three characters and the gateway which attaches to the toy pad. You can then add characters from other packs.

Speaking of the characters, it’s also a nice way of introducing children to some they may not know yet but will love when they’re a little older. For example, there are representatives from Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and The Wizard of Oz.

Upon placing a new character on the toy pad, you’ll be offered the chance to build the vehicles or objects that come with them. The instructions appear on the screen, rather than in the box, a smart move as it encourages children not to mix it up with their other LEGO! I’m not being a Kragle-wielding bad guy here; the reason you don’t want them to do this is because the vehicles can be rebuilt. For example, the Batmobile can be converted into The Batblaster and Sonic Batray.

Going back to the characters, vehicles and objects, you can add them in and out during gameplay and quickly switch between them. They all have different abilities to help overcome the various challenges you meet along the way. For example, Wildstlye can jump and grab levers, Scooby-Doo can dig and Owen from Jurassic World can track hidden objects.

As well as the main storyline, you can also explore the different worlds of all the brands involved in LEGO Dimensions – these include Springfield, Middle Earth and a DC Comics World. These are unlocked by expansion packs and the beauty part is that you can use any character in them. Only yesterday, I was tearing around Hill Valley in the Batmobile as Homer Simpson. Marvellous!

It’s all fantastically inventive and we’ve really enjoyed playing it so far. It has to be a candidate for the coveted honour of top-selling toy for that little festival we celebrate at the end of the year and I’ll definitely be adding a couple of expansion packs to my wishlist in case the kids ask for other things!

LEGO Dimensions is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 with the Starter Pack varying from £73 to £85 depending on platform. Level, Team and Fun Packs are sold separately.